Dec 31, 2012

On a very specific night in a year, a year appears too short to live and to experience. That’s undoubtedly the night of December 31st. January to December flows so flawlessly every year that no clock of the world can be proved wrong unless the batteries are down. Even if the clocks are stopped from working, the natural clock, the sun and moon cycle, never let us miss the count of the seasons of a year.

2012 has been very eventful as far as I’m concerned. Probably, the one that is of this sort in last five years! It’s been a very good mix which is the main reason why I loved it very much. Learning from personal and professional lives is the treasure I would like to carry proudly to the next year.

Love work;

Love people;

Live the fullest;

Learn your best.

As far as the blog is concerned, I’ve had few of the major milestones one being this post itself as the 800th post. Writing has been my best of the best hobbies ever since I’ve started this blog. Truth to be told, readers are the best encouragement. Thanks to everyone who have been around.

Special mention to Jack uncle for reading every post of mine and for the apt comments. I owe a lot to you. KP uncle, I’ve been missing you; hope you are doing fine. All my college friends, blogger friends, colleagues who read this and wish me, thank you so much to you too for being there.

The heinous act by the six shameless rapists has stuck the country alarmingly in the later part of the December this year. In a moving bus, beating up a man, dragging his female friend to the back seat of the bus, amidst the country capital, sexually and physically assaulting her in such a way that cannot be written so easily here, is all done by the citizens of this country, our very own.

Enough has been written in national news papers and telecasted on national television channels since fortnight on this incident. Hence I take no time in jumping to the later part of this post.

Is it for the first time that we are witnessing the tsunami of grief, thrashing anger, candle light vigils, fearless protests and back-firing Indian youth in the centre of the national capital? Actually no, but yes in terms of the way all this has happened and the intensity that has been shown this time round across the nation and globe! People have been connected not by the leaders but by the leading social-networking sites. Government having no clue about the upcoming protests has handled the situation less convincingly but the protestants themselves have been convincing enough that sooner it has become contagious across the country’s main cities. Leading ladies from various Indian cities have come out on to roads and lead the rallies, whereas some others have spoken for every victim so far on the TV channels. Men, have taken their part too and some men especially have become so expressive and emotional that they have been sorry for being men! Well, man, no need to be sorry that you are a man. Just be the man a woman wants tohave than the one whom she has to have. That itself is more than respecting a woman.

One in around six hundred rape cases of the year (only the ones which could enter the count) has finally come under the surveillance and seen the treatment. I would appreciate every effort that the guys have put in starting from air flowing the victim to Singapore, getting back the dead woman in a charted flight, receiving the dead body early in the airport after half an hour’s wait, cremating her body without notice to the masses, and now finally offering her family a job in state government along with up to rupees thirty five lakhs in cash. That’s enough effort but fell just short from saving the girl’s life. Not that all that is done in this case is incorrect or insufficient but the question is if such similar treatment will be shown in all such cases or if some harsh treatment will be given to the culprits, who are sick mentally and sexually. I think the government is working hard to frame it out well, at least for now to get the masses back to work from holding the placards and pushing away the slogans. Hope some stricter laws get enforced henceforth.

Law can change the way the victim feels about the incident but it can hardly gives her chance to recover back to the normalcy, which probably she can never do in her life time. One rape victim spoke on a TV channels who said, when in the morning you are confident in handling out the people around you, at night you have to be alone in the darkness where you feel like having sixteen foreign hands scrolling around you, you alone have to pass the time then. That one statement has spoken volumes to me that the normalcy is gone too along with the rest that goes in vain after one such incident.

He who commits the accident is punished and he who is met with the accident is free from law. But in this special accident case, who commits this might undergo the punishment as per the sections of the law books, does not matter after how long or for how long, but the one who is the victim of this type of accident is put into punishment cell from the next moment and for all of her life, perhaps. Irony or destiny! But she has to undergo this.

And, why?

All because of the way we, the society, see the incident. You can legally ditch the person whom you have married but you cannot escape the weird looks when a stranger, although only for those moments, checks you through. Getting raped is a big crime? And raping someone, an unknown one, an innocent one, is not such a crime that the youth and women welfare associations have to come on roads to ensure the punishment such people deserve! There is no wrong that one has done when she is raped. At least, it’s not a greater misfortune than having raped someone. Women have to carry their own fighting spirit along with them all the time. One may not escape it completely but combating is important too. Today I read that henceforth woman has every right to kill the person who is attacking her. I thought, if women have been waiting for this rule to pass that they can kill him. Had it been possible everyone would have.

This time round, many big people have shouted on punishing the culprits. Would they have done the same had the culprits been from rich, politician or celebrity families? Years back when in Andhra Pradesh, one movie actress got brutally gang raped and murdered by a ‘big’ family’s son and his friends, no one spoke for the lady. Why now? Is it just because this time round the culprits are unknown vibrant from the capital, and that the ‘big’ ones have no impact on their careers by doing so? May be or may not be, but one thing is for sure. Not every time a rape occurs the reaction is same or even comparable. Some acquire the attentions through the none other than ‘media’. I appreciate media’s work in this regard. But some other victims cry in dark, stay in mood swings all over their lives thinking about the same moments.

Good that the girl’s identity this time round has been kept secret. People have called her “Nirbhaya’ or ‘Damini’, symbolizing her traits that she showed after the incident. Brave girl has fought for her life throughout her tenure in her last days. Her answers to the questions of police in writing are said to be the crucial ones. When the whole nation can speak for her, her last written words are still the major companions of her to see the end of the culprits.

Capital punishment is of course not the option I’m looking for, as far as I’m concerned, seriously. One has to target the long term changes in the way the society thinks. If guys cannot take the short frocks girls wear and if for now they have to be avoided or have to be conscious, a girls has to be. I’m not denying the fact that every girl has her own rights about her own body but in the present scenario being in everyone’s own limits shall be the best option to choose. There is an argument that sarees, the part and parcel of Indian culture, too can cause the inevitably evil. But somehow I too feel conservative on this topic. The Indian culture is mixed up with every other culture of the world now. There is a huge transition that’s going on and there is no loss in being careful, little more careful, in the way one make herself appear.

If the fear of death punishment can alone set the things straight, there should not have been any murderers. But they are there. If long term push into jail can stop a man from being bad to a woman, there should not have been any cases found in other countries of the world where rape is taken as a serious crime. All that matters is the way a man’s mind thinks, the way it wants or the way it gets probed to do the worst at times. Lack of education on sex, respecting woman, brought up and friends’ circle come out to be the main ones behind a man’s such cruelty. I feel, one generation has to suffer and that we are in suffering mode now. If we really want our next generations to be safe from all such disheartening incidents, children of this generation shall be targeted for the best possible brought up. In schools, sex education must be the part of syllabus. Respecting girls and woman shall be incepted into them by the women at home, it could the mother or it could be the sister. Boys shall be observed closely in the regards of their actions towards the other gender. Education itself is not in good reach in India for the millions of people and proper sex education might appear very far away in this scenario. But we neither have option, nor the government too. Punishment could be helpful at this stage but to achieve the long term goal ‘education to everyone’ must be revolutionized and along with that the other but important ‘human values’ too.

We can also think of having special police personal to solve the women cases similar to the special courts and the fast tract schemes. Like the way NSGs are created a special security force can be created and I hope I’m not asking for too much. In a way, somewhere in corner of my mind, asking for this makes me feel weak as if women are really weak. May be, we are, for now.

Chemical castration is being talked about too. But, just in case, if this particular thing reverse swings and a man changes from having less sexual activity to have physiological disorders, that might prove further worst to the country and society. In all the countries wherever it’s in practice as on date, those countries are small ones and are with controllable population. But in India, if such thing comes into practice, there could be many people who can fool out the rules by all means. But nothing concrete can be said now, at the moment. Let’s hope for the best, a better India, for women.

The moment you receive the appreciation you have been longing for is the moment you experience the happiness that lasts longer. Appreciation always gives confidence and it’s one’s own job to ensure that it does not get him into the whirlpool of over-confidence.

Dec 30, 2012

I rate ‘Life of pi’ the best among all the 3D movies I’ve seen so far. I’ve not seen ‘Avatar’ in 3D hence cannot compare with it.

Life amidst the blue waters and hungry lion might not be the one that one can survive for longer. But the boy in the movie did it for days, more than almost half of a year. The liberty in fiction is used to the fullest extent in this movie or rather in the related book.

Frankly, I could not get the soul of the movie even after reading the respective Wikipedia page further to watching it on screen. May be I have to buy the book and read it twice, as I foresee, to get to know the actual plot. I thought I would get to know what I could not or did not understand in the theater by bringing up this topic on lunch table at office. Also, by doing which I thought I might be able to escape wearing the cap of those who do not actually understand the Hollywood movies yet pay all the money for the sake of saying that they had watched them. But I was wrong and had to confess at last as I came to know that I was just another person who didn’t understand it and earlier to me, the people who sat next to me on lunch table too were the similar sufferers. In the movie I had to hear two stories out of which the choice was left to the author at the end and to the spectator too of course. And here, on the lunch table, I had to hear two more stories from different people who understood it differently. Finally I gave up my try in the yummy taste of the once-in-a-year-tasty type’s lunch.

Keeping my inability apart, the director’s work in terms of showing different seasons and their affects and after-effects on the lone boat, boy and lion is very much appreciable. The graphics of the fish ponds mid at the night amazed me. The lesson the boy was taught by his father was true to the deepest. Indian religious tradition and a common child’s take on the same have been depicted very convincingly at the start.

I loved the 3D effects though at some scenes I had to tightly close my eyes, especially when the tiger roared. The black 3D glasses saved me from being visible of my eye-closing moments. With that, to an extent, I was too sure that I would definitely have colleagues in the neighborhood where the black glasses were ruling from the front.

Before I sign off, I would like to give full appreciation to the story writer and the thoughtful work that has stuck the world with its amaze.

Dec 29, 2012

Having been a person with no faith in afterlife, souls, spirit world etc I chose to read this book to understand how strong my belief against these was. I came out fine at the end. I still do not have belief in them.

First is first. One good thing I observed in this book, in the try the author has put in, is the thought that he insistently projected that having belief in afterlife will make you vibrant with the fact that there is no death and even after your soul leaves your body it still can get back to another to do a brand new start all over again. With that, as he mentions, people start losing the fear of death. May be, true. But I have a point to be clarified. If people are so connected with their lives, people, emotions, and surroundings, who and who get satisfied with the fact that he will born again amidst another world, following which he has to start everything again, every reputation has to be built once again? As I understand it, we all get connected to this life considering the dreams we want to achieve, people we want to keep happy, and reputation we long for. If death takes away all these, though you will born again, as some believe, who the hell will be satisfied with that? Not me, definitely.

In the book, which is claimed as the collection of real incidents happened, the author claims that the woman of the book has had eighty five past life times. Also the master soul, through this woman though, spoke to him in between. That we all have to live until what we are sent to learn. That after getting a broader understanding your soul will be rested ultimately. Why someone has to rest the soul that has learnt everything? I have more questions on same topic which I would like to discuss with someone having wider knowledge on this and I do want to appear this post a question bank.

Reading this particular book has been a very different experience out of all the books I read so far. This choice has ignited an interest to read books on diverse topics. I have planned to do so in the days to come.

You may choose to read this book if you feel that you can withstand the weird looks in search of the unknown that you have to give around you bed room while you lay down on bed with this book opened in your hands. You may choose this book if you feel you can walk along at mid of the night in your home while you are at mid way through the book. Or otherwise, choose this book if you just want to understand yourself how much you can withstand the fearful thoughts.

Well, this book is not that frightening too. Choose it if you wish to add a different experience to your kitty.

Dec 28, 2012

You and I can definitely not estimate how it feels to be the Chairman of the tea-to-telecom, the Tata, brand, unless you actually put yourself into the Chairman’s shoes. Keeping apart what the Chairman has to do to manage the business deals, being the Chairman of such a big and prestigious brand itself is one of the biggest responsibilities, which has been bravely taken up and inspiringly worked out by Mr. Ratan Naval Tata.

Hats off! And I know, that’s insufficiently said by me for what he has done as a man, as a chairman and as a Tata son for India.

For two decades he has served the nation’s biggest and highly loved brand. There is a great privilege in itself.

He has lived a life of his as if it’s his country’s, and as if it’s his organization’s. Acquisitions of global brands and collaborations with some of the world’s best partners happened in his era stand out for years to come, which also can prove the best for the organization.

A brave man was seen in him when he handled the situation during the terrorist attack just as any other calamity. His heart pumps humanity. His service to the people of this nation through different ways is very much unforgettable.

Having been part of Tata’s organization for last four and half years I feel proud for being so and will love to continue being so.

I wish to read his biography or autobiography. I feel he shall whole heartedly opt for going for a book on his life. That can inspire the generations to come, which at the present scenario, is the very best medicine to our country and to the entrepreneurs-to-be.

With that, I dedicate this post to Mr. Ratan N Tata, one of the few persons whom I respect the most.

PS: Five years back on same day (28th Dec) i got selected for Tata Motors in campus placement. Same day in the present year, Mr. Ratan Tata has retired as Chairman, Tata Sons. Just a coincidence!

I saw him at Tata Motors today. So many people surrounded his convoy that it brought a kind of Goosebumps to me thinking what Mr. Tata must be going through seeing all that!

Dec 25, 2012

'Sachin' and 'Cricket' have been attached for at least twenty two years. 'Sachin' and 'retirement' seemed to have been attached at least for five years now. Finally the day has come when the two words get attached once gain very promptly that we will see the detachment between Sachin and ODI cricket for rest of our lives. Sachin Tendulkar, a man who needs no introduction, has taken a decision which some people have appreciated and some other have been disappointed. Well, in my case, i'm little surprised to see Sachin announcing it just before the tour with the rivals. That's his decision. No further comments on this. But i feel so sad that I along with many other fans could not go through the emotions such as "last match", "last run', 'last innings' etc. It would not have been easy and never easy for sure for Sachin himself.

The short man has put an end to the longest ODI career of the cricketing world. After almost twenty three years, its even difficult to bid farewell than to do it in the span of half of it. Looking back, i'd like to thank Sachin for his blistering 134 against Australia at Sharjah, for the killing knock of 98 at the world cup against the Pakisthan, for the maiden double ton in ODI at the age of thirty seven, and not the least, for the dashing 175 against the Aussies at Hyderabad. Apart from the runs and wickets, he truly deserves a heartul thanks for every effort and inspiration given every time.

Some debate that most of the times when Sachin has made a century India has lost the match. I cannot disagree seeing the statistics but for a person who is holding every record going by statistics, this record means very less negative about him, to me.

Not just Sachin we also shall retire now from asking the questions when India plays ODI match "What's Sachin's score?", "Is Sachin still playing or gone?". We shall also probably retire from the habit of changing the TV channel after his wicket is down. One more and important we now need not wait to witness the first 50th ODI century to be made by any cricketer on earth.

Having been in the sport which has probably got the highest media coverage in India and that too for a long duration of 23 years, Sachin coming out with no considerable negative things about his gesture is only possible with the golden attitude he possesses. Probably the brought up of him by Mr & Mrs Ramesh Tendulkar had been so impressive and admirable. Hope someone would write his biography in future through which we can know more about his brought up.

Well, that's not the end to Sachin Tendulkar with bat. We will still see him in test matches as well as in IPL too.

Look forward for few more blistering knocks from him in the years to come.

Congratulations Sachin for a career which is one in one generation(s)! I feel proud to be your follower, follower of an Indian who has done loads for his country through the field he has chosen until now.

Dec 23, 2012

Mom, a mathematics teacher by profession, told me that this year was announced as ‘National Maths year’ and yesterday was National Maths Day.

My mom taught me Maths in school. Until then I was not somehow convenient with this subject. Many of my mom’s students used to tell me that she was their favourite teacher and that she used to make them feel Maths an easy subject. I never realized, though she used to teach me at home, that she was so good in teaching. When she started teaching us she became my favourite teacher too.

On the National Maths Day I wish my mom, all match teachers, professors, every single person giving his contributions to the growth of Maths in this country a very happy Maths Day.

Srinivasa Ramanujan, an Indian mathematician lived for just 32 years and still achieved like none, contributed like no other Indian to the field of mathematics. On the eve of his 125th birth day i.e. Dec 22nd 2012, Indian government has decided to celebrate the year as National Maths Year. Hats off and thanks to this man! Wish he lived for many more years and achieved much more.

Dec 22, 2012

Not the end but a new beginning has happened I guess. A thought that makes one thoughtful before believing and eventually worrying about ‘end of the world’ would have got planted into everyone. When something big happens or when something big is expected and does not happen, we tend to realize that we can actually handle the ‘big’, whatever it is and however it comes. If this is true and would have happened to all the living ones, with mind and thoughts, ‘End of the world’ scar has taken its toll in terms of eliminating the related fear.

21st Dec, 2012, for me has just passed by like twenty odd days with same date happened in my life so far. Of course, everyday is a new experience and this is no different too. Mixed feelings and emotions gone by. Good and bad. Sweet and little bitter!

Sharing about the events that you treasure with people whom you treasure always fills the heart with niceness.

Welcoming new people into life with full and open heart makes life go easy thereafter.

Experience is always good; it’s not always required that your past experience should match with what you are going to do in future. Experience from diverse fields is very powerful and definitely makes you appear different from conventional, in whatever you attempt.

Being able to share each other’s work topics makes a couple understand each other better.

Dec 20, 2012

With just an hour to go for the calendar date to get changed to 21st December, the tea-time hot topic of these days at office has been lingering inside me. That’s about End of the World – threat.

Although NASA has confirmed the unlikeliest arrival of the ‘End’, it seems the ‘2012’ movie has done enough damage to our thoughts already. I’m not sure what must be going on at the moment in the million minds of Americans or Californians, which was the first city to go down in the movie.

As I presume it and believe, we will all see the 22nd Dec in a day’s time.

May be, it’s an ill effect of all the discussion of these days that my sub-conscious mind takes me to the Tsunami mid at the night. In last week I had to wake up to the Tsunami dream twice! Couple of days before Ricky Pointing to announce his retirement, I had a dream in which he announced his retirement. The moment I mentioned this across the lunch table at office, one of my friends and a big fan of Sachin Tendulkar immediately asked me if I had also seen a dream in which Sachin retired. As I myself being a big fan of Sachin, the moment I read about Ricky’s retirement in news paper, I requested my sub-conscious mind never to give me such dream. It does not mean I would never want Tendulkar to retire but I never want to witness it well before he actually retires. Coming back, I would also have to control my dreamy mind to stop showing the raising Tsunamis.

Have a happy day ahead, 21st Dec, 2012. In hope of a new beginning, I sign off.

Dec 16, 2012

It’s inevitable. Some day or the other, we all are bound to witness the above line in the news coverage. With the recent statement in which Sachin himself said that there was no much cricket left in him, he made it clear that the end is near. Before that happens, I thought of putting up few words about my all time favourite player.

I was very desperate to do this post as the end could come any day.

Cricket has got innumerable followers world-wide. At least half of them hold Sachin to their hearts. Out of all the contemporary cricketers of the world, at least three fourth would have grown up watching Sachin playing. After all these years, after all the come backs from career threatening injuries, after answering all the critics, the man has entered last and crucial phase of his cricketing career. With every the speculation doing rounds about his retirement, for him, it must have been far more difficult to perform compared to what he had faced earlier, before his hundredth international hundred.

Pressure is unavoidable. Especially on the big stages with every eye on you, though you have been doing it for two decades, doing it one more time or for some more time for your country has been proved very difficult for the little master in the very recent times. Many fans of him, although with heavy hearts, have ended up asking him to retire soon. Though needless to say, I’d say I’m one of them.

As of now, BCCI has given Sachin freedom to think about it. But Sachin, better than anyone else, knows it very well that the same opportunity wouldn’t continue for long without runs on board in the ongoing matches. Up to him now, either playing it his way or calling it a day.

Now, “Less for cricket, more for Sachin”, coming to this, it’s a fair and frank statement I’ve made. I’ve loved Sachin and then he is the reason behind my many sittings either before TV or before my laptop with ‘cricinfo’ opened. Before exam or after exam, the scene never changed. It has been less for cricket and more for Sachin that I’ve watched matches.

With the entry of remote control, it’s been far easier to switch the channel with the opposition getting Sachin’s wicket. The celebration in the opposite team shows it all.

After all the failures we have witnessed from his bat in the recent times, even after the last time he got out against England I closed the ‘cricinfo’ with jet speed. That’s the moment I realized I should start searching for new reason to watch cricket. If I do not get succeed in finding out the reason, once he retires, I’m sure I’m going to take a long break from watching it unless another magical boy pops on the screen with bat or ball. In the present scenario, it’s pretty clear that it’s going to take some time.

Yesterday when I was thinking about it, I thought, at least one fourth followers of cricket must be thinking same as that of me. At the same time somehow I was sure that my estimate was very accurate. May be, that’s what happen when you are addicted to a person for two years.

Before I conclude this post, I’d like to send a sincere message by air to all the recent-former players, who have been having pleasure making ‘statements’. Here it goes: Please do not use it as a chance to reduce the difference between you and Sachin. Every time you try, the difference only increases and never moves in the opposite direction even a bit. “If I were Sachin I would ---”, everyone knows how you were sent out.

I hope not but for one last time I’d like to wish Sachin all the best for another good innings for India.

When you are frustrated, you have every right to show the frustration straightaway. But it needs the right composure, of mind and thoughts, to keep it all to yourself and come out responding in the other way. It’s not that by doing this you are controlling your emotions. Rather, by doing this you are giving the situation or the other person a benefit of doubt. It shows a side of you where you have accumulated the due respect to others or circumstances. Certainly, it ensures the slight introspection edge you entertain for yourself, which has always been proved as a success mantra.

Frustration not shown is never a problem, neither for you nor for any other, but the frustration shown could be the start of a problem. Beware.

Moreover, you do not have time to think about all this the moment you are frustrated. Only an experience or a regular exercise or rather the practice to acquire right composure would help. Of course, a deep wish to do so can work wonderfully for you in doing so.

Try to be aware of the fact that some facts cannot be changed or at least you cannot do anything against that. The moment you realize this, try to get accustomed with the respective fact. The sooner the better.

Dec 14, 2012

Dec 12, 2012

So, this is it. This is the 12th post for this day with the historic date. Thought of doing something different on this 12-12-12 and wanted to post 12 posts on this special day. I’m happy that I could successfully do it.

12-12-12 will never be seen in our lives again, never. For that matter, 11-12-12 or any date cannot be seen again in our lives. But we celebrate some days, by paying them special attention. I see nothing wrong or crazy in it. Like that way we like Sachin for some of centuries he has made and not necessarily for all, we like and notice some of the dates for the way they appear specially.

11-11-11 brought lot of buzz about the Bachchan couple planning their baby due date on that day. Though it never happened, that definitely covered up bit of the time for the news channels. I don’t remember what I did special that day but today it’s been gone good.

I enjoy writing. As I wrote the marathon posts today, I realize that I can actually express on a lot of things every day. I mean, we all can express our views, opinions etc. There need not always the inhibitions that stop us from expressing ourselves, at times, we just go by the life the way it goes. It might be just that we do not feel the importance of expressing ourselves. Whether we realize it or not, it’s important for every one of us to communicate our views in a way or other. Years back I chose the blog way. I’ve always felt happy about it and will still be keep doing it.

Anyway, that’s all for the day, on this Wednesday. Incidentally, it happened on ‘a Wednesday’.

It’s been not even a month that the England tour of India is started and all in a brisk the so named “Revenge series” is taking its toll on Team India. Except for few sessions, it’s been England’s day out all these days.

I really do not know how much a pitch can cause patches. But this time round, it’s been causing all the stains on the big names of Team India. While Jaheer and Bhajji got knocked out, Yuvi, who saw his way back to team after recovering from the life threatening disease got to see his way out too.

I do not have any praises to do in this post except very few. One, Pujara, who looks promising yet has to work hard on his consistency; two, Ashwin, whom I hope to see performing with ball and bat steadily throughout the coming matches too. And that’s it. There ends the praise list.

Now starts the introspection, a kind of.

I’ll speak about him towards the end.

(1) He has always been playing in his own style irrespective of his team’s needs. He might send the first ball out of the stadium or play it on to his own stumps. Such an unpredictable player and still gets changes just for the very same reason, his unpredictability. I will have him first on the retirement list.

(2) He has been trying to turn peanuts into big fruits but never could success in the recent times. A player known for his concentration and left hand technique, seeing him struggling these days disappoints every mere Indian cricket fan.

(3) Very recently, he appeared as an adult prodigy another one after the last child prodigy Indian cricket has seen. But surprisingly, he too has turned out as a seasonal player. I’m not sure if he lost his concentration amidst the honour-flow. But, still, he is promising one.

(4) Every position and person in team is important to run the team successfully. At the same time it is also important that the team shall be run with and without any of the team members. That’s the way the teams shall be run inspiringly. Selectors or who so ever, have failed in doing so. A player cannot just remain in the team just because he is after all the ‘one’.

(5) Having heard enough of himself and being written off for pages these days, this man in this team must be having the highest pressurized cooker in his head. What to do, to leave or to stay back for another chance! Well, as always, I will like to leave it to him, the best one to decide upon.

That’s all I think.

Team has been selected with few new bees for the last test. Let’s wait and see, what’s in store! 2-1 or 3-1 or 2-2!

As an obvious choice I would like to pick the 2-2. All the best, Team India!

PS: I write string of posts and I do not take cricket as one of the subjects! This can never happen!

It’s his birthday today and I take the privilege to wish him many more happy returns of the day. Hope, for his fans, he would ever continue as ‘The Super Star”.

With no required background or support if some people entered the Cinema field and could still manage to get the super star image, Rajinikant, as per me, tops the list in the contemporary times. As an actor, as a human being, he has always been his fans’ best choice.

It happens rarely that a super star is not just known for his stardom but for his everlasting humbleness too. After all these years of glory, he still prefers to be his own helper in many aspects during the shoots. I’ve read it somewhere and thought about it for relatively long time after that.

Having been the contemporary of Kamal Hasan, another talented and most happening actor of same time, Rajinikant could still lay his way out to the super star spot. That’s something from which we all shall be learning a lot. With no known setbacks between the duo in their long and still running careers, both deserve equal complement.

I’ve seen some of my friends watching Rajinikant’s movies again and again and again just because it’s a Rajinikant’s starrer. I don’t call it too much. I see a certain unachievable thing in it; i.e. a man’s achievement of so many hearts of so many religions and of so many diversified lifestyles. He unites. His style, his action, his dance, every bit from him on the screen makes the audience go nuts in front of the screen.

How wonderful it is when so many people celebrate your birthday as if it’s their own! How touching it would be when many unknowns prefer you to their people! Certainly, that’s one in lakh lives.

A life lived once as Rajinikant is the life that’s lived hundred times… lol… Jokes apart, truly, I admire this man from the deepest of my heart.

Gopi sir was so emotional when I met him. He said, ‘Saina, you have given me what I have long dreamt of. Thank you.’

I’ve always worshiped the relationship of a coach and the player. This book, though not in elaboration, has given me further reason to love this relationship more than before. Coach seeks his dreams to come true through his player. Though the situation of Gopi Chand is nothing different from this, one incident which happened years ago makes me mention this specially.

In 2001, when he won the All England Championships, his felicitation function was arranged in our school ground. I incidentally happened to be at home same time on a vacation, probably it was the home sick vacation during my first year of Intermediate. My school teachers went on to stage to give bouquet to Gopi Chand and wish him and along with them my mom too, who is one of the staff members. She told me later that she had wished him on his success and told him “you must win an Olympic medal” for which he replied “I will try my best”.

Every player wishes and tried to win an Olympic medal but few win. That’s, sometimes, seems more than enough for a player and to his coach. Hope this coach-player due does not mind to try more and turn the bronze to gold.

Unlike any other auto biographies or biographies of players I read, this book resembles the simplicity of Saina and her brought-up. With absolutely no commercialization, it seemed a kind of blog-read showcasing Saina’s likes, choices, routines, opinions about other players and even her kit details.

She is still young. That’s probably the reason why she has no inhibitions in writing her heart out, about her early age, parents, their sacrifices, Mummy’s strong will and wishes etc. What she mentioned about her elder sister brought a certain respect towards her. It’s not just how to be dedicated about a chosen field, but being parents, how to encourage children to go achieve the heights is also can be learnt from this book. Hats off to Saina’s Papa and Mummy!

I’ve always mentioned my opinion that there is nothing wrong in players doing endorsements and gathering sponsorships. To my amusement, Saina is so sincere and frank in accepting the fact that she does all these for money. That’s needed to have better training, physique and of course a well deserved enjoyment.

Having been attached with the game for years now, Saina should start thinking about after-play-life after some more time from now. She has still got some golden years ahead to keep inspiring the Indian young generation to pick shuttle and rocket, not just as their time pass but a profession, career.

I wish her a very successful career ahead. Hope she continues her consistency.

I’d been to a vendor of gold ornaments during the vacation along with mom. At the counter I saw people carrying heavy bags out of which the money is taken out and pain at the counters. In return they would get the gold that weight less than the empty bag does, same bag in which they brought the money that had been taken out from ATMs/banks etc.

On contrary, grocery shopping has still not reached that tremendous trauma stage. You can still manage to get huge, though only by weight.

Gold is among the best that’s being talked about in the market. Especially in the recent times it’s on its peak. Marriages, especially south Indian ones, cannot be expected without purchase of gold. Also, during the same, the showcasing of gold happens in a most glittering way. This season has been one of the best for marriages. I say this based on the news that’s scrolled under that in a day, in Hyderabad, there have happened thirty thousand marriages. Marriage season brings seasonal business to the gold vendors and I think that’s the best business as well.

I heard from mom that the sales men in the gold shops are paid at least twenty thousand per month. That’s nothing less. I met a sales person in the shop when I went along with mom. He said that it’s his part time job and he is a student pursuing his MBA. Not a bad idea at all.

Nothing left than hopping that rupee do well in the months to come and the prices come back on track.

“Now I had won India’s first individual Olympic gold with the highest score ever in an Olympic final”

This is probably the line that I read repeatedly and yet could manage to get goosebumps in every read. Now as I write this, it’s needless to say how much exhilarating it is. Behind this one line, there have been years of efforts, gallons of bullets, loads of concentration and indefinable dedication. Wonderful!

I’ve always watched out for the Indian shooters in all the international championships/competitions. May be, it all started when I first heard about the Olympic silver medal that he had won in the Athens Olympics in 2004. Since then India has been continuously seeing one or the other Indian on the podium, be it world championships, Olympics, Asian games or Commonwealth games.

Though I’ve been a follower of major events I could never get a chance to watch the live telecast from the shooting arena. Thanks to the ‘flipkart’ search list which brought this book to my sight and with that the shooting ‘engineering’ to my knowledge. I called it ‘engineering’ because the shooting engineer, Mr. Bindra, has not failed to mention any point on how to shoot for the best.

Especially, every care that Abhinav and his team have taken to perform the world’s best on the world’s biggest stage, as narrated in this book, has mesmerized me. I literally told myself “this is called the obsession dude”!

Having no problem economically, Abhinav has been lucky in many ways. But ironically, money cannot make you wish for an Olympic medal; money cannot bring discipline to you; money can neither make you strive for perfection nor can it save you from having sleepless nights before the tournaments. All that an obsession can do to you is, after all, all the above.

Rivalry with the contemporaries is the lowest costing fuel that ignites a deep wish to be the best. That’s enough to march on to the podium as well. It’s nice to have. Rivalry is not a negativity to have provide you ensure it’s positive outcome with your gesture. Abhinav Bindra has been successful in doing so.

A loss can easily bring down you deep into the misery. To get back on track you need a team that teams up with you against the loss. The team could consists of your trainers, parents, friends etc but at the same time not too many too. That’s a real bliss for any sportsperson, for that matter, for any person too.

You stand to shoot your last 10 shots in the Olympic final, your gun shoots a sighting shot of 4, which you have never shot since that year you have become a teenager, and you must shot your best to win a medal in your next shots, what would you go through? I’m sure not everyone can handle this. And I’m damn sure not even few can control their heart beat. By doing all this, and still could manage to win an Olympic gold for his country shows the nerves of the toughest metal on earth.

“I won, she ordered two Kilograms of ladoos. The media poured in, eventually she needed 60 Kilograms”

A typical scene seen in our country! Even before you realize that your son/daughter/brother/sister has won it, you would be demanded to distribute the Mithaiee.

Obsession is good and bad. Good for all good reasons and bad for an only reason that it might cost you the wish to do it once again. This is what happened, as it seemed to me after reading this book, probably to Abhinav after the historic gold. I would not like to explain more on this as I do not feel it deserves many lines in this post.

Well, it’s always heartening to congratulate someone, and I once again congratulate him here. I wish him and other shooters all the very best in the years to come.

One more thing before closing on this, if you ever want to know what does an “obsession to win” mean, read “A Shot at History”.

It’s especially when I read novels, especially love stories, the book does not appear to have been read at all. I read the novel that’s quick and with no patches even here and there. I completed the author’s debut novel “I too had a love story” on a Saturday night amidst tears. I’ve completed his second book, much-awaited one as the cover page says, “Can love happen twice?” on a Sunday afternoon while having my almost cleaned lunch plate in front of me and flipping through the pages with my left hand fingers.

The story interested me only to clear off my fear thinking ‘not again!’

Ravin is an emotional writer and that’s need not be said after his first novel. But the second one, again proves that he is an emotional writer, considering which he can write the emotions he has experienced! I’m not sure if he has gone through the other story in his life again but to me it appears to be a commercial trick. Or as he mentioned in the foreword, it could be a good mixture of incidents from many lives and a twist that’s generated to end the tale not sad, again.

Coming to the title, I liked it. It doesn’t unravel the last few lines of this novel in which all the ending lies. At the same time it keeps you on your toes thinking if it can happen! Credit goes to the one who chose this.

I feel and believe love happens once. Either you were not in love or you are not in love when you say you love two. First love, can it happen twice? With no doubts, knowing the minimum mathematics of 1st standard, one can say that it does not happen twice. Having said that love happens once, I will also have to say that ‘first love’, again going by logics, does not exist; all it exists is only ‘love’.

A sole kind has been missing in the whole read of this book; a sole, that loves a girl deep to its core; a sole that probes one to do anything, crazy or serious, for its girl.

There is a certain disadvantage of success. Your next encounter will be undergone a post-mortem only to throw all the bad shoes at you to make you realize that you are not up to the mark, which you have set for yourself and for many.

Otherwise, seeing the novel by isolating it from its sister novel, it appeared as a practical love story in which two different mind sets, brought ups, wishes, aspirations of a love pair are involved. But what I didn’t like or could not get satisfied with this story is its one-sided narration from a boy’s point of view. Though he mentions that he has discussed about his future plans with the girl many times but without mentioning about it even once in the whole plot, it seemed very odd for me accept it as it is.

On the whole, it’s a good read, just to read and not to think much about it later on. If you do otherwise, you will anyway realize later that it’s too much to think too much about love happening for the second time. Forgetting the first love is impossible. One may overcome the pain it caused but the memories always revolve around.

My stomach has been playing a game called ‘hungry’ in which Hide and Seek have been playing the lead roles.

Funny! But this is the reality of my snack-story. “Hide & Seek” is probably the most bought biscuits by me in the recent years. This revelation does not appear strange to those who sit or sat very next to me in office. I like the taste of Cadbury and when I get to eat the hard Cadbury types, I jump on it. I can eat it for breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner, late-night catch up etc and etc.

With that, should I mention again that I do not like to share it much, be it with any? Not that I’m giving indication to all, especially to those who sit next to me. Just, I’m scribbling my way.

Recently, there has been another release of H&S, i.e. H&S Fab. I didn’t like it when I first ate it. I’m yet to try them for the second time hence I do not have much to say about them.

Dec 8, 2012

Going by its gesture and not by its concept, Aamir Khan’s recent bash, Talaash, kept me timeless for anything else, except for breathing, for two hours on the Sunday morning.

In short this movie is a perfect one-time watch.

Somehow I’ve started liking the morning shows on Sundays. One, they cost less. Two, they give exciting Saturday night. And three, they don’t pain even though the movie is not good, obviously due to the less ticket cost.

Coming back, Talaash is well composed of suspense, thrill, pain and myths. With no doubt, credit goes to the director. Aamir khan, one of the finest artists Indian Cinema possesses, has done enough once again. Kareena Kapoor Khan looked stunningly beautiful. Raani Mukharjee, in a housewife character, perfectly glued to the emotions.

Nothing major to write about this movie, as you know, its suspense type does not allow much. I have waited a whole week to pen down this post such that by now, I felt, I could hope that many of you would have watched the movie already. If not yet, don’t proceed reading this post any further. Please consider this as a sincere disclaimer.

As a person having no belief in the spirit world, I didn’t much enjoy the concept of the movie. In fact, the end or rather the concept of the climax disappointed me. I’m not sure if it was because I had been expecting more practicality or because I had not expected such climax. But for sure, I was wordless with the way the suspense got cleared towards the end of the movie. It seemed like a conventional Bollywood movie finish, as towards the end we come to know that the key point of the story revolves around something that does not seem to be so practical and usual!

But as a person having belief in the humanity, the reason behind the concept seemed ok, not perfect though. It seemed ok because they left her wounded all alone on the road at mid of the night but seemed not perfect because they had called a man for her help by taking the responsibility as they had to save themselves from the endanger, being celebrity dudes.

However, the way the incidents have been connected throughout the movie is good. Credit goes to the brilliant direction and the intelligent script. I’m proud that both the director and the dialogue writer are women.

If I have to choose one between Kahaani and Talaash, I would choose Kahaani for its twist at the end which seemed more human and practical. With that, it goes without saying, I’m awaiting Kahaani-2.

On the whole, as I said earlier, Talaash is a perfect one-time watch.

One more, to be frank, I could not completely correlate to the tag line of this movie! ‘Within’, how to understand this w.r.t. the story? Let me know if you get it.

On the lunch table at office, one of the senior colleagues mentioned an interesting thing.

“If you watch two movies a year, watch “English Vinglish” twice”

A woman does everything for her husband and family, in the sense, arranging the daily needs, maintaining the harmony of the family, kids, household things, etc and etc. In return all she gets or rather, can get is the love of her family. She binds everyone and expected to get bonded well, and nothing wrong in the expectation. Apart from this, a woman, like any other human being, though a house-wife, expects a little respect and caring too; respect that makes her do more what she regularly does and care that she feels the completeness.

What happens when her feelings get deeply hurt? Especially when her own children and husband do not care for her, and humiliate her for her weaknesses every now and then without eyeing on her efforts that she put for them, with whom will she share or how will she a territory for herself in the hearts of her family members?

The answer lies within and that’s depicted in the movie very interestingly and naturally by the lady director and the ever beautiful and talented actress, Sridevi.

Sometimes you get deep into trouble and humiliation, no one helps you, and that’s when you have to help yourself.

It’s been long I’ve seen this movie and hence I’m not sure how much correctly I reproduced the above dialogue but I loved the way both Sridevi and the director said it in the movie. That’s very correct with no further analysis needed. Help yourself to stand as one in hundred.

Lot patience is needed to run a family and to be giving encouraging life to the naughty kids especially when they are at their earlier ages. I learnt this from one of the scenes from the movie.

Come back films have been many and “English Vinglish” stands one in hundred too. Sridevi, who never needed to add her husband’s name to hers to be aware in the crowd, is looked amazingly homely and beautiful in the movie. The screen play is one of the intelligent and attractive ones of these days’ movies.

I don’t remember noticing people standing and not able to go out of the theater while supporting staff’s names getting scrolled on the screen at the end. Of course, some of the scenes from the shooting time were getting played too but that’s when you cannot stop yourself from appreciating the director’s thinking. And not just that, as the Indian film world’s most cherished actress comes back to silver screen after a long gap, people could not miss her acting even though it was for the last couple minutes after “The End”.

Marriage and its bonding have been unquestionably portrayed in the speech that the lady in the lead role gives at the end.

Really, a must watch movie for every member of a family. I enjoyed every bit of entertainment in it.

It's not that one shall learn not to cry at all, but one shall learn from his experiences, when to cry and when not to, for what to cry and for what not to, for whom to cry and for whom one shall not or need not to.

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About Me

Hai, I'm Pramoda. This blog is a collection of my thoughts based on my experiences and perceptions of life. I write about every aspect that interests me like human relationships, photography, team and program management, work-life learning, sports, movies, book reviews, philosophical stuff etc. It's been more than eight years since I started my journey of blogging. I've always enjoy doing so and shall continue to dedicate some time of mine to express myself. Hope you enjoy reading my posts. Your feedback is most welcome.

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Before You Proceed...

Dear Friends, Just to make it easy for you, here i'm sorting out my best out of all posts, based on my own interest. I would love to say, Every post i write here is special to me, yet there are some more special ones and here they are...